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Just a reminder of International Day for Biological Diversity this Saturday the 22nd May. I thought this was a good time to highlight a few things around Biodiversity. So grab a cup of coffee and read on...

Biodiversity

... is the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or on the entire Earth. Biodiversity is often used as a measure of the health of biological systems. The biodiversity found on Earth today consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The year 2010 has been declared as the International Year of Biodiversity.

Biodiversity is not distributed evenly on Earth, but is consistently richer in the tropics and in specific localized regions such as the Cape Floristic Province. Rapid environmental modifications typically cause extinctions. Today there is concern that the period since the emergence of humans is part of a mass reduction in biodiversity caused primarily by the impact humans are having on the environment, particularly the destruction of plant and animal habitats. In addition, human practices have caused a loss of genetic biodiversity. The relevance of biodiversity to human health is becoming a major international issue, as scientific evidence is gathered on the global health implications of biodiversity loss. (Hooray for Wikipedia)

Our business talks a lot about maintaining the biodiversity of the sensitive Cape Flora.

Better Conservation

Flower harvesting from the natural fynbos has for many years provided income to farmers and itinerant harvesters who sell their produce to the flower industry. Insensitive picking and over-exploitation of the wildflowers leads to loss of species and damage to the wild lands, which are an important habitat for insects, birds and other small animals such as tortoise and frogs.

The Agulhas Biodiversity Initiative, which is a partnership of conservation agencies, recognised the importance of flower harvesting for the local economy. As a result a pilot project was initiated to test and develop sustainable harvesting practices in the wild cut flower industry. Several small businesses are now accredited and monitored by the local conservation authority and are thriving. These businesses are providing stable employment for teams of pickers, and thus, are our suppliers of choice. We are proud to support these businesses. We are assured that our purchases from these suppliers is providing income to the owners of wild lands and is helping to conserve this unique vegetation and maintain the habitat for wild animals. (TBFC Website)

Business is recognising the value of maintaining biodiversity in the long term.

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) study is a major international initiative to draw attention to the global economic benefits of biodiversity, to highlight the growing costs of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, and to draw together expertise from the fields of science, economics and policy to enable practical actions moving forward.

Look out for the Business TEEB for Business Report to be released at the UK's first Global Business of Biodiversity Symposium in July 2010. http://www.teebweb.org/

Biodiversity is not just a luxury for the rich, it is a necessity for the poor (TEEB)

If you got this far well done! In the spirit of Int. Day for Biodiversity look out for ‘Species of the Day’ link which will be a permanent fixture alongside the latest blog.

Posted by Shelly Graham (May 2010)